Personally I think it's hostile. I felt that way when I lived near Berkeley too, because the response to concerns about public decency is *always* that you're just supposed to keep your kids at home then. It's not about freedom, it's a big loud eff-you and you're-not-welcome-here. It's not about people being comfortable in public, it's about how you, and particularly your children, breeder that you are, can be righteously driven from the public square.

I ride a bycycle at least 100 miles a week. Usually a lot more. I ride to work whenever I can. It's my main pastime and source of exercise. I do it because I like it. My reasons are utterly selfish. I would be embarassed if someone attributed any sort of virtue to me.

Why do people have to be such goddan totalitarians about everything. Why must liberals be such snotty pains in the ass about everything?

The idea of street fairs ... are to boost the traffic in the neighborhood on weekends. And, the way to tell if this is successful, or not ... is to notice if the people who come to make money (and put out tables). Or the storekeepers in their shops ... make money.

It is a lovely day.

Madison, it seems has two kinds of weather. Either you're wearing warm woolen hats, and mittens. Fighting the cold.

Or it warms up instanly. And, all the winter clothes are packed away. And, the ground and trees just swell with greenery.

Seems like a safe place. Doesn't seem to have bums.

Oh. And, the woman with her car moving forward. While her head is turned to you showing you one hand off the wheel. And, her thumb down. Would only make a sight ... if she also bumped the car in front of hers. (People like that key other vehicles.) So it does demonstrate why "silence" becomes something lots of people do.

Walker has more friends than you captured in your camera.

Basically, I think his political stock went up since he got elected.

(Weiner? He walked off with a million a year. Plus bennys. He doesn't even have to go to work. Plus, he kept his $5-million pot ... he got ... Dialing for dollars.)

I hadn't thought of it in terms of grossing out the heterosexuals so much as proving pure enlightenment vs. the Christian prudes.

It's the same sort of twisted "tolerance" that appears so many other places in progressive causes. Of course, if everything has to be law, good compelled and bad prohibited, any call for public decency is viewed as an attack on freedom.

"Plummeting Approval Ratings." It all depends on who is asking the questions.

And, sometimes? All it takes is one phone transaction ... to let you know a lot about people.

Take the Clarke call (in the recall election for District $42.) Politician is dialing away ... and a woman picks up the phone.

"Do you know about the recall election" asks the running wizard, Clark. (Clarke?)

"SUCH A CRIME." Says the lady. And, slams down her receiver. But her answering machine kept on recording ... and there you have Clarke saying what he feels ... He'd like to call her back and beat the crap out of her.

HELLO.

Polls don't tell ya nothin.

That phone call recording, however, spoke volumes.

Walker is doing his job. When there's a governor's race, again ... 2014 ... What will be seen across America ... is how many governors hold on. How many are democraps. And, how many are republican.

I think 2010 surprised a lot of people. Because republicans won state houses.

Walker, meanwhile, has gone from being one of 26. To having the #1 name recognition. Or at least close behind Chris Cristie.

If you didn't know this, before, POLLS are the tools the lamestream media uses to fool ya.

The polls are rigged.

And, we're not in Casablanca anymore. Saying you're shocked has lost its value.

May I remind all rabid public union members and supporters that the patron saint of American labor, FDR, warned specifically against the dangers/pitfalls of the public union:

"... Meticulous attention should be paid to the special relationships and obligations of public servants to the public itself and to the government. All Government employees should realize that the process of collective bargaining, as usually understood, cannot be transplanted into the public service. It has its distinct and insurmountable limitations ... The very nature and purposes of Government make it impossible for ... officials ... to bind the employer ... The employer is the whole people, who speak by means of laws enacted by their representatives ...

"Particularly, I want to emphasize my conviction that militant tactics have no place in the functions of any organization of government employees. Upon employees in the federal service rests the obligation to serve the whole people ... This obligation is paramount ... A strike of public employees manifests nothing less than an intent ... to prevent or obstruct ... Government ... Such action, looking toward the paralysis of Government ... is unthinkable and intolerable." - Franklin Delano Roosevelt

"The guy under the red and white umbrella is promoting the philosophy of Ayn Rand." - Ann

What, you dislike Rand? I've never gave much thought to Randian Objectivism, because, well, she's an atheist, and I could smack down any lame attempt at epistemology they could foster.

But I believe in "study everything; join nothing", so I'm giving her a read. Up to chapter 10 of "Atlas Shrugged"; a good read so far. I can picture you as Dagny Taggart (who I'm totally attracted to because of her brutal competence) and Meade as Hank Rearden (the lucky bastard, though I don't know if Meade's REALLY that competent).

So, super secret, hidden message: even though you might have me by a dozen years, if we were both single, I would let you play cougar with me (sorry Meade, no disrespect; expect things like this). It's brutal competence that I find sexy...